Trolley bus kills man

Press, 26 December 1987, Page 4

Trolley bus kills man

PA Wellington The trolley bus whose pole struck and fatally injured a Lambton Quay pedestrian on Wednesday may have been travelling faster than the 50 km/h speed limit, the Ministry of Transport said. on Thursday. Traffic officer Alan Buckley, whd attended the accident, said all seven witnesses interviewed by the Ministry of Transport before Christmas Day had mentioned the speed of the bus. Two more witnesses were yet to be interviewed. Mr Buckley said the alleged high speed was notable because the accident occurred only 60m short of the intersection of Lambton Quay and Hunter Street. When the bus moved right to get past a parked truck, its poles came loose and the right-hand pole flicked down, striking a pedestrian on the head. He was Michael Miet, aged 38, a jeweller. Mr Miet, who was walking on the footpath, was knocked to the ground. He died at Wellington Hospital yesterday morning. Mr Buckley said a pedestrian walking three metres behind Mr Miet called an ambulance. Wellington City Transport general manager, Mr Kim Crysell, said the poles of the bus, retrieval system and rope had been examined by City Transport, but he declined to say what the examination had turned up.